“BARGAIN WITH THE FAIRIES”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12869, 23 May 1936, Page 10

“BARGAIN WITH THE FAIRIES”

BRABANT CREDULITY IN ' SLAVONIA

A story froift Slavonia provide: 3 an interesting example not only of tho clover explanation .a: peasant credulity, but of the remarkable- flights of fancy of which gipsies arc sometimes capable, says the News Chronicle. Marin Mahiallovitch, a gipsy Avoman from BL’kovats, near Viukovtsi. arrived recently <nt the ho are of Martin Sharcheviteli. of Uasl.nyak, near Zhoupnnia, and told him a -.d'range story eri lioav large quantities of gold day under his house, placed there by tho fairies.

She'advised him to d.’|g for it. offering to help him Avith tho ceremonies nfeeo-sr.firy to- please tho i/airiesv” She then induced him to provide her with new clothes in order that she should be suitably di’os, eel to deal with live fairico.

Martin was further obl'ged to give a sum of twenty gold ducats, twelve hundred -dinars, ami a gold, ring, as. according to gipsy logic, “gold mast bo.sought by gold. 1 ’ \ The night was fixed for, the ceremony. The gipsy first ordered .Martin and ' his wife to d'g a deep hole unde’* their room. Two hours were rpa-nt -' in digging and, shortly befairs midnight, Maya qrfhrcd that, a

black kerchief, containing the* gi'ts for the fairies, should be passed from band to hand while she muttered incomprehensible spells. Just- before the clock struck twelve she told Martin’s Avii’c> to put live lamp put, while she arid Martin continued to exchange the kerchief. When , the lamp went'out slie told him to 'clyop it'into the pit 1 arid thrii tb till in'the earth. Only after this was' the lamp lit again. > The iv;ly'gipsy then told theiri that it ivas necessary to wait for oiie week and then, on the stroke of midnight, to dig fori f-lte'cauldron of gold. \Vlhti which the friircs would have presented place. : , AH'Martin ail'd.Lis tvife found In tho pit I 'was''- tho black' kprcliicf from Which' their gifts had been '• ski Hully removed and stone*) inserted in tht i 1 plaeca.' " *_ „ ’ .